Automatic fresh-air-damper control



Feb. 17. 1925.

C. C. SHIFP AUTOMATIC FRESH AIR DAMPER CONTROL Fild Nov. 17,

lHvsm-roR, CLARENCE. 6. SHIPF;

Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES CLARENCE C. SHIPP, OIE INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC FRESH-AIR-DAMPER CONTROL.

Application filed November 17, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAnnNon C. SHIPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and V State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Automatic Fresh-Air-Damper Control, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the control of the flow of fresh air to and through a heating radiator, and it is the purpose of my invention to regulate the amount of air admitted from the atmosphere with out the building to the radiator by means entirely automatic, to meet the inside room requirements.

In the average home, and especially in public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, there is constant need of ventilation by an inflow of fresh air for the maintenance of eiiiciency, health, and comfort. The usual means of providing such ventilation generally requires close attention by one or more attendants in regulating the manual controls, and it frequently happens, as in a school room, other matters engaging the attention of the attendant, cause the attendant to overlook adjusting the fresh air control for a period of time until the room condi- Q tions have so changed as to have either an excess of cold air or to have too small an amount of fresh air being admitted.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide means whereby the fresh air requirements of a room are automatically provided for entirely independent of attendents and without expensive fans or blower equipment that necessitate installation of ducts and the like devices; and another equally important object of my invention is to house the automatic mechanism so it can not be tampered with and the time of opening and closing of the damper controlling the supply of outside air changed by unauthorized persons. This is particularly important in school rooms where children may tamper with an improperly change such an apparatus if leftopen to them. My invent-ion provides a simple, effective, durable, and inexpensive installation that may be adapted to old as well as new buildings. I apply my invention to any of the well known steam, vapor, or hot water radiators.

I accomplish these and other objects as may hereinafter appear by the means as Serial No. 675,429.

shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a radiator with fragments removed and with my automatic fresh air control in position; Fig. 2, a top plan view of the actuating bellows; and Fig. 3, a vertical section of the bellows taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1, the radiator comprised of the several sections is enclosed on the back. front and ends by the shell or air diffuser (3. An upright pipe 7, extended upwardly along the radiator sections 5, and substantially to the top of the shell 6, is connected at its lower end to a coil of tubing 8, which in turn is connected to the head 9 of a bellows 10 that is comprised of a plurality of expansible chambers 3a. The coil of tubing is provided to carefor variations in assembly and to take up the vertical expansion of the walls of the pipe 7.

The head 9 is secured to the frame work 11, which frame work is supported by the shell 6. On the opposite end of the bellows 10, is the movable head 12, to which is attached the rod 13. Mounted on the rod 13 and bearing against the frame 11 and the head 12, is the compression spring ll that tends to resist the expansive longitudinal movement of the bellows 10.

Pivotally secured at one end to the arm 15 which forms a fulcrum extended from the frame 11, is the lever 16, to which is pivotally secured the rod 13 by means of a yoke end. To the other end of the lover in. is pivoted a second lever 17 which extends backwardly from the radiator, and approximately at right angles to the lever 16. into a passage 18 leading through the building wall 19 to the outside atmosphere. rocker arm 20, pivotally connected to the floor of the passage 18, pivotally engages the outer end of the link 17.

A connecting link 21 is pivoted at one end to the upper end of the rocker 20. and at its outer end to a damper 22, here shown in a closed position. The damper 22 may be opened outwardly about the hinge Protecting the air passage 18 are the storm louvres 24 and the screen 25.

On the inner side of the hack of the shell 6 is mounted an indicating device to show from over the top of the radiator the open V Withthe damper sane-w open or closed position of the damper 22. A chain 26 is connected to the link 17 at a point back of the 'rod 27 and passes under, outwardly, upwardly and around the bracket 28 and thence downwardly to, the end of the rod 27 which i'odis nee to'sli'de vertically through guides in the brackets 28 and '30. Adjustably secured to the rod 27is the extension rod '31that'operatesithe indicating mechanism head 32 causing the Words'Openor Shut to appear inthe window 33 as the upward or downward movement of the rod 31 may,determine:

An expansibleliquid is "sealed within the connecting chambers formed 1 by the pipe 7, coil 8,- and bellows l0 a'ndthe relation of the expansion of the bellows-10m the room temperature is such that when the room temperature is under "that desired "the bellows: is in its IiOIIiiiilCOIitIitCtBCl position as indicated in Fig; 1; As the room temperature increases, due to the heat from-the radiator, the liquid expands in the'pipe 7 causing in turn an increased: pressure within the bellowsflO, su chthati as the room temperature continues to rise, the bellows 1Q will exp and longitudinally, compressthespring: 14, and push the rod '13 outwardly, causingthe lever '16 to' move its free end 'backwardly. and in turn actuatethe link "17; rocker 2O, andlinle 21,-such that: the damper 22 is pushed ope'n' the degree of opening depending upon further expansion of the confined liquidas may be occasioned by further increasein room temperature. As the link 17' moves backwardly5 it pullson the chain 26*so as to cause'therods 27 fand'31 to rise andipush the head 32 upward'to' bring the word Open in. place within the window 83;.

The bellows 10 is preferably'enclosedin a housing 85,' shownin Fig;'2 in fragments; but removed in Fig. 1 to showni'ore clearly the bellows.-

fresh air is rapidly drawn through the, passage 18 up andaround the heated radiator sections and discharged into the room; at a higherteinperature than without. The air can only escape into the room from the top of the radiator as guided by the enclosing shell 6. such'that disagreeable drafts are avoided. Should an excess of cold air, be admitted,

the room temperature will drop and cause a corresponding contraction of the fluid within the pipe 7 such that the bellows 1 0 willcontract and the return spring 14 will extend and cause a reverse action of the mechanism intervening between the bellows 10. and'the damper 22-to the, effect that the damper 22 will close until the room temperature again rises, and more cold air' is required. With the proper relation of the expansion of the fluid confined andthe heat supplied byjthe radiator,the damper 22 will usually remain open to some degree to supply a continuous flow of fresh air, although in extremely cold weather, the damper will intermittently open and close.

The expansion of the bellows 10 and the compression of the return spring 1 1 is preferably previdedinmy invention so that the damper 22 will 'start opening at a room temperature of 67 degrees Fahrenheit and will gradually continue opening until at 69 degrees the damper is wide open.

I have herein described my invention'in the form how best k 'nown to me, butas it is obviously capable of many variations P in structureas well asin range of temperature control without departing from the spirit of the invention, l-do not desire to be limited to-the: precise form as shown anysiriore than may be required by the following claims.

I claim I 1. In ELd'GVICB for controlling the-flowof air. through a heating -i"adiator, the combination with the radiator, a radiator. housing,.an air passage discharging into the housing, and a damper inr'thepassag'e, of a vertical fluid. containing. member within the "radiator'honsing containing a fluidhaving a high COBfllClGIlt of QXIJBJISlOH, a horizontal expanding member located in the housing anjair passagedischarging into the housing, ,and; a damper inthe passage, "of vertical fluid containing member within the housing containing afluid having. a high coefli'cficnt of expansion and extending substantially from the bottonito the top of the radiator housing; a horizontal expanding member lOQiitQCllIi the housing and communicating with thevertica-l fluid containing. memberthrougha flexible connection; and means actuated by the expansion and contraction of the horizontal expanding member for opening and closing the damper.

3. In a device for controlhng'the flow of,

air through a heating radiator, the combi nation with the radiator, a radiator housing, an air passage discharging into the housing; anda damper in the passage, of a vertical fluid containing member within the housingcontaininga fluid havinga high co- 6111016111101 expansion and extending substa-ntiallv from the bottom to the b01101 the radiatoi' housing a horizontal expanding member located in the hous ng and communicat ;ing-with the vertical fluid containing member through a flexible connection, said horizontal expanding member consisting of a plurality of inter-communieating*expansible chambers having a non-expansible head at one end fixed to a frame supported by the radiator housing and a movable non-expansible head at the opposite end and having a rod connecting with said movable head and passing through said frame; and means actuated by the expansion and contraction of the said horizontal member for opening and closing the damper.

4. In a device for the controlling of the (low of air through a heating radiator, the combination with the radiator, a radiator housing, an air passage discharging into thehousing, and a damper in the passage, of a vertical fluid containing member within the housing containing a fluid having a high coeflicient of expansion and extending substantially from the bottom to the top of the radiator housing; a. horizontal expanding member located in the housing and communicating with the vertical fluid containing member through a flexible connection, said horizontal expanding member consisting of a plurality of inter-communicating expansible chambers between non-expansible heads, one of said heads being free to move; means of resisting such movement; and means actuated by the expansion and contraction of the horizontal member for opening and closing the damper. v

5. In a device for controlling the flow of air through a heating radiator, the combination with the radiator, a radiator housing, an air passage discharging into the housing, and a damper in the passage, of a vertical fluid containing member within the housing extending substantially from the bottom to the top of the radiator housing and contain ing a fluid of a high coeflicient of expansion; a horizontal expanding member within the housing and communicating with the vertical fluid containing member through flexible tubing, said horizontal expanding memher being comprised of a fixed non-expansi' ble head, a plurality of intercommunicating expansible chambers between the fixed head and a movable non-expansible head, and a rod extending from the movable head, all supported by a frame, a spring resisting the expansion and aiding the contraction of the horizontal expanding member; a lever fulcrumed on the frame of the horizontal expanding member and operated by the rod extending from the movable head; a rocker arm pivoted to a wall of the air passage; a connecting link pivoted to the rocker arm and the damper; and a connecting lever pivoted to the rocker arm and the lever fulcrumed on the frame of the expanding member.

6. In a device for controlling the flow of air through a heating radiator, the combination with the radiator, a radiator housing, an air passage discharging into the housing, and a damper in the passage, of a vertical fluid containing member within the radiator housing, containing a fluid having a high coeflicient of expansion, a horizontal expanding member located in the housing and communicating with the vertical fluid containing member, means actuated by the expansion and contraction of the horizontal member for opening and closing the damper, and means of indicating the position of the damper from the travel of said expanding member.

7. In a device for controlling the flow of air through a heating radiator, the combination with the radiator, a radiator housing, an air passage discharging into the housing, and a damper in the passage, of a fluid con taining member located in the housing and containing a fluid having a high coefficient of expansion, an expanding member, and means actuated by the expansion and contraction of the expanding member for opening and closing the damper.

8. In a device for controlling the flow of air through a heating radiator, the combination with the radiator, a radiator housing, an air passage discharging into the housing, and a damper in the passage, of a fluid containing member containing a fluid having a high coeflicient of expansion, an expand ing member, and means actuated by the expansion and contraction of the expanding member for opening and closing the damper, the fluid containing member and the expanding member both being located within the housing.

Signed at Indianapolis, Indiana, this the 15th day of November, 1923.

CLARENCE C. SHIPP. 

